I have a debate with a friend, He states Tanzania re opened for hunting in 1977 and say it was 1979. My question is what year did it close prior to re opening in 1979.
Thanks,
Paul C

Kenya banned hunting from 1977 to this current day whereas Tanzania closed hunting from 1973 to 1978 when someone realized it had been a suicidal move and from which it never really recovered.

Tanzania reopened in 1979 to date and in spite of the rampage that took place during the closure where untold numbers of Elephant and Rhino were literally decimated, Tanzania's wildlife population today is better off than Kenya's.

Fujo,
Are there any wild black rhino left anywhere in TZ beside Ngorongoro?

quote:

Originally posted by Paul C:
I have a debate with a friend, He states Tanzania re opened for hunting in 1977 and say it was 1979. My question is what year did it close prior to re opening in 1979.
Thanks,
Paul C

1973

I hunted Masailand in Tanzania in 1997. We drove south from Arusha for several hours without seeing a single animal. All of a sudden, there were gazalle, warthog etc. everywhere. The PH said we had just entered a hunting block--poachers had wiped out every animal that was not protected by the safari companies. Should be a lesson learned.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Fujo,
Are there any wild black rhino left anywhere in TZ beside Ngorongoro?

Yup .... in the SGR, in one of Luke's concessions in an area of impenetrable thickets, there were around a dozen or so which were being "watched" around the clock by a special guard detail.

There were several other small groups in a hilly area populated by dense thickets within the photographic area of the SGR.

There may be other similar pockets in the SGR where they may occur of which I have no knowledge and if there are, not openly spoken about.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Fujo,
Are there any wild black rhino left anywhere in TZ beside Ngorongoro?

There was a small population reintroduced west of Horo Horo. Will check the name of the reserve. Sort of north of the Usambarra Mountains near the Kenyan Border.

Near the village of Mwakajembe

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Near the village of Mwakajembe

Mining area known for Green Garnet among others; I wonder if these Rhino will ever survive.

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Originally posted by fulvio:

quote:

Near the village of Mwakajembe

Mining area known for Green Garnet among others; I wonder if these Rhino will ever survive.

A little west of there around Mikameni were more gems.

Interesting area.

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A little west of there around Mikameni were more gems.

Interesting area.

Yep, did a bit of "scratching" in that area myself a while back.
Mwakijembe Mining Co. belonged to my late father-in-law back in the heydays.

The only Reserve I know of in the vicinity of the mining zone is the Mkomazi Game Reserve.

Fulvio is that reserve north of the Umba River? That is where the Black Rhino were. I thought it odd being so close to the Kenyan border.

It was a little west of Mwakajembe on the north side of the Umba, there is (was) a little high bridge with some bits missing that crossed into the reserve.

Would love to get back there.

Cheers, Chris

Chris,


The Only reserve on the TZ side would be the Mkomazi Game Reserve (now with National Park status) and the quickest access point is at Same to Kisiwani between the Usambara and Pare Mountains.

North of the Umba River would take you into Kenya and the Tsavo National Park, West of Taita Hills; Mkomazi is still relatively distant from Tsavo East (not that distance matters to a rhino).

A number of rhino had indeed been relocated in the Mkomazi at some point in time but one never hears anything about the project and of its success/failure.

The Umba valley is now in a pretty grim state, as are Tunduru and the banks of the Ruvuma.